Most Realest is the debut EP from Dos Feeliz, the SF/LA duo made up of vocalists/producers Eric Steuer and Jason Betrue. The EP, which draws from trap, indie soul, and electronic pop, was written and recorded over five trips to Downtown Las Vegas, the city’s vintage stretch that sits a few miles north of The Strip. On each expedition, Steuer and Betrue took up residence at the El Cortez, a casino owned in the 1940s by the charismatic and ultra-violent gangster Bugsy Siegel. The duo converted their suites into makeshift recording studios by installing whatever lightweight gear they could cram into their carry-ons and by making use of found objects—like the packing foam from a hotel alcohol shipment, which became a reflection filter for an on-the-fly vocal booth.

DTLV is in the midst of a highly-publicized urban revitalization effort, and is home to some of the most interesting characters in the world. The songs on Most Realest are inspired by the many dozens of people Steuer and Betrue met during their trips there. Veteran card dealers and novice drug dealers. Bright-eyed tech workers, new members of the area’s expanding professional class. Old-school barbers, bartenders, and builders feeling the pinch of higher rents in their changing neighborhood. Most Realest is a tribute to downtown’s hardworkers, hustlers, hopers, and homeless.